The Iron Road and the Steam-Breathing Dragon (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9781963898033)

In a captivating narrative that challenges the conventional, 150 years ago, the destiny of the United States rested in the hands of an unlikely group-foreign teenage boys hailing from Canton. Amidst the turmoil of the Civil War, while the nation was torn apart and its sons perished, a small cadre of Chinese youths from Guangdong was entrusted with an extraordinary task: uniting the nation by constructing the western segment of the Iron Road across the formidable Sierra Nevada mountains. Armed with picks, hammers, shovels, blasting powder, and an unyielding spirit, these young individuals, characterized by their slight build, distinctive appearance, and traditional pigtails, labored to build the Transcontinental railroad through some of North America's most unforgiving landscapes.

Using full-color illustrations combined with text and dialogue, "The Iron Road and the Steam-Breathing Dragon" intimately recounts the journey from the perspective of two brothers from Guangdong seeking adventure and fortune. The story delves into their encounters with mortality, the forging of friendships, and the legacy of an Iron Road that brought true unity to the nation for the first time.

Russ Low's intimate storytelling, complemented by engaging dialogue and vivid illustrations, breathes life into one of the most extraordinary chapters in American history. This epic tale explores the indomitable will and determination of young foreigners pitted against the formidable forces of nature and the pervasive racism of overseers. "The Steam-Breathing Dragon is a poignant saga of courage, resilience, tragedy, and triumph, forever altering the destinies of these men and shaping the course of the nation.